Interview: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes a stab at London: ‘There was a conscious effort to make the tone lighter’

By Hugh Langley

Why aren’t more games set in London? Rich in history and filled with iconic landmarks, England’s capital is a charming playground – yet only a handful of titles have properly explored the cobbled streets.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, 2015’s installment in Ubisoft’s blockbuster franchise, will take us to a post-Industrial Revolution London of 1868. This is the first major Assassin’s Creed entry from Ubisoft Quebec. It’s also the first major instalment in the franchise that will let you play as a female assassin, following much backlash over the absence of playable women in Unity’s co-op mode.

“Being the first AAA title that Ubisoft Quebec was working on, the team knew we wanted to prove ourselves,” Scott Phillips tells techradar. The studio drew on help from Ubisoft Montreal while also researching the era. The time period is well documented, and the team used old maps, photographs and drawings for inspiration. They also tapped up historians to learn more about how people moved around the city, how they talked, and get a general feel for the atmosphere of the time.

The result is a city that feels like much more than a backdrop. “We treat London as one of the main characters in this experience,” says …read more

Source:: techradar.com – Gaming